Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Love DIY Gifts? Check This Out!

I'm always in need of a quick, last minute gift. Since I'm on this crafting kick, I'm enjoying making these frames as a special way to say "happy birthday!" "thank you" or whatever else I need to give to show my token of appreciation. I made this frame and gave it to the student that I mentor at Calhoun Middle School. It was just a little something I wanted to give her to say "Adios! Have a great summer!"

I thought it turned out really cute! The flower is made out of tissue paper with ribbon glued underneath.

It's so easy to make these. Here's how you do it:

You'll Need:

Wooden Frame

Paint

Paint Brush

Scrapbook Paper

Mod Podge

Sand Paper

Ribbon or Fabric

Box Cutter or Knife

Scissors

Credit Card

Embellishments

To start, paint the wooden picture frame any color you like. I chose white. Let dry. If it needs a second coat, apply the paint after the first coat is dry. Don't forget to paint the sides!

Next, place your scrapbook paper with the design face down. Put your frame on top of it with the painted side down (be sure that the paint is dry!). Trace along the outside of the frame. With your scissors, cut out the outline. You'll want to cut the paper about 1/2 inch inside the line that you drew so that you will have a border around your paper when the frame is finished. Don't worry about it being perfect!

After you have your paper cut, place your frame painted side up. Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge on top of the dry paint.

Place your paper on top of the frame. Be sure to center it as best you can so that the border around the paper is as even as you can get it. Take your credit card and smooth out the paper. This will help release any air bubbles that get trapped underneath the paper.

When the Mod Podge has dried, flip the frame over and run your box cutter blade around the perimeter of the picture opening. This will perforate the paper for easier cutting.

After you have gone around all 4 sides, flip the frame over and run your blade over the outline you have created in order to cut the paper from the picture opening.

To smooth out the edges, run a piece of sand paper along the sides. This will get rid of any rough edges left behind. You can also rub the entire frame with the sandpaper if you want the distressed/shabby look.

After you have the edges smoothed, apply 2 coats of Mode Podge to seal the frame. Let the first coat dry completely before adding the second coat.

While you are waiting for your Mod Podge to dry, get your embellishments ready. I chose to make rosettes out of ribbon for this frame. They are easy to make! Start with a piece of ribbon that is about 2-3 inches wide and 1-2 feet long (the longer the ribbon, the bigger the flower.)

Wrap the ribbon around itself in a circular motion, hot gluing where needed to keep the flower together. When the Mod Podge is dry, hot glue them onto your frame. Voila! Super cute frame for some one really special! They'll love it for sure!